KSC 2018 FORMATION PROGRAMME

TOPIC CHOSEN – YOUTH

Session TwoTheme: Then and Now

“I like to speak with the youth, and I like to hear the youth. They always put me in difficulty. They tell me things that I haven't thought of, or that I've partly thought of. The restless youth, the creative youth, I like them!”

(Pope Francis In-flight interview from Poland, July 31, 2016.)

Step 1:OPENING PRAYER: Order Prayers

Step 2:READINGS ON THE THEME

The following is an excerpt from the book ‘Youth the Hope of the Harvest’ by Father Edmund J. Elbert. Chapter 7 entitled ‘ What the kids are saying. ‘

“Religion and God. “Religion for me is something that takes place between myself and God. I go to church and pray but I always go when nobody’s there. I just don’t get anything out of church in any other way, like Sunday. I don’t understand what’s going on or what it’s all about. I can talk to God better when I’m by myself, when I’m out in the fresh air, even when I’m just relaxing and looking at the sky. I feel I’m doing more and being more religious when I’m trying to help somebody out, like trying to get some friends to kick drugs. I know what that’s like but I was lucky. You see I found the Lord.”

Thoughts such as these represent pretty reasonably the view of many youngsters on the topic of religion and on their attitude toward God. In their search for a meaningful existence in a world many of them despise today’s youth are revealing a remarkable interest and involvement in the religious and even mystical aspects of human existence. Their involvement is certainly not restricted by a concern over religion in terms of specific codes, cults, or creeds. Religion seems to obsess many of our young because of the undeniable influence it has had in shaping and reshaping of social institutions. The moral ethic that formalized religion, or as some refer to it, fossilized religion, imposes in one form or other seems to the young to be too oppressive and too outdated in its refusal to take into account the individual person of flesh and blood. Support for this opposition to the rigidities of moral principles as proposed by formalized religion frequently is sought in the representation of the physical sciences and especially in the modern emphasis of Freudian-based psychology. The current emphasis on freedom and personalism makes an enemy of the restrictive influence of moral accountability. The value-judgement norms of formalised religion appear to the young to inhibit the spirit of individuality and personal spontaneity. Their archaic statement often makes a mockery of their true meaning for the mind of modern young people.”

(Father Elbert, a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese, has a doctorate in philosophical psychology from the Catholic University of America and, at the time of writing was on the professional staff at South Oaks Psychiatric Hospital. Many will resonate with Father Elbert’s description but it should be noted that this book was written and published in 1972 – that is over 45 years ago!!!)

As part of the universal preparation for the Synod of Bishops Meeting on Youth this year, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference commissioned a national online survey of young people so as to provide some preliminary information to assist with the preparation for the Synod. Overall 15,000 Australian young people responded by completing or partially completing the survey. In the results one of the Tables gives us some very useful information about what some Australian Catholic young people consider to be the main issues they face – please note that those being surveyed were able to indicate more than one issue in the survey:

Main Issues / % of young people surveyed
Family Life / 36
Friendships and Relationships / 45
School or Study / 56
Work or employment / 32
Environment / 12
Spirituality and religion / 17
Body image / 51
Drugs or alcohol / 53
Multiculturalism and ethnicity / 13
Sexuality / 38
Mental Health / 57
What to do with your life / 32
Sport and health / 8
Culture, the arts or music / 5
Leadership in society / 8
Social Justice / 15
OTHER / 3

Please note that the highest rated issue is Mental Health closely followed by School or Study and that the age group ranged from 16 to 29 years old!

Step 3:Allow a few moments reflective silence.

Step 4:SCRIPTURE READING

From the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2 verses 14 – 21

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice: ‘Men of Judaea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you imagine; why, it is only the third hour of the day. On the contrary, this is what the prophet was saying: In the last days – it is the Lord who speaks – I shall pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young people shall see visions, your old people dream dreams. Even on the slaves, men and women, shall I pour out my Spirit. I will show portents in the sky above and signs on the earth below. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and terrible Day. And all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Step 5:REFLECTION (5 Mins)

Step 6:SHARING (10 Mins)

Discuss the ratings of issues from the recent survey. Do they conform to your experience?

Are there any common similarities between the assessment found in 1972 (from Fr. Elbert’s book) and the issues identified last year? What might be the causes?

Step 7:CONCLUSION Pray together the “Hail Holy Queen”

Step 8:The Meeting proceeds

Step 9:CLOSING PRAYERS – the Order’s prayers

2018 Formation Programme Session Two - Page 1